My friend Eve shared a powerful allegory with me. She said, “If you have tomatoes stored in your kitchen and they go bad, do you get angry at the tomatoes or blame the world because they’ve rotted? Do you say the person who sold you the tomatoes gave you bad ones, or that the tomatoes were defective? No, you don’t. You understand that their time has simply come to an end. It’s time to discard them and go back to the market to get fresh ones.”
It’s the same with maids and nannies. They serve us well for a season, but eventually, their time with us will come to an end. We have to let them go and find new help. One thing I’ve learned, and I know many others can relate to, is that the thought of our nannies leaving can be unsettling. However, we must come to terms with the reality that one day, they will move on. No matter how good of an employer you were, the time will come for them to pursue other passions, get married, or simply move on.
As difficult as it may be, remind yourself that their role in your life is seasonal. When their time with your family comes to an end, whether or not you were the best and kindest employer, it’s time to part ways and embrace the next chapter. You can only hope that the next experience will be even better.
So, for those feeling anxious about starting over or fearing the loss of a good nanny, take heart. It’s all part of the process.